Religion

What is it with religions, who preach tolerance, respect for their fellow man (and occasionally their fellow woman), etc, that they need so many inter-faith groups just to get them talking to each other, even if they all believe in the same god? The Pope only very occasionally talks to Muslims and even within Christianity, they can’t even agree the basics.

Also, why does the UK Government fund so many projects just to help religions talk to each other? That wouldn’t be because they aren’t actually that good at listening and tolerating each other, would it?

I’m glad to see that newspapers have not resorted to asking fortune-tellers, astrologers, psychics and other charlatans about what they predict for the coming year after their collectively spectacular failure to foresee the tragic events of 26 December 2004.

If only they would take one further small step and end the publishing of horoscopes.

They have been complaining that Students’ Unions have refused to affiliate them because they won’t allow non-Christians to join.

It transpires that they also want all speakers to sign up to their doctrinal statement before being allowed to address their members. Additionally, therre have been complaints about a course they run based on the book ‘Pure’ by Linda Marshall. This has been described as hompphobic by some, particularly since it apparently claims that gays can be cured of their affliction!

Now, some Students’ Unions (eg Heriot Watt in Edinburgh) have, indeed, refused to accept them. They have a constitution, bye-laws and policies, which conform to the
1994 Education Act, and they cannot affiliate an organisation not prepared to adhere to these. These mandate equality of access to all students, regardless of the particular society.

It seems that the CU is not prepared to sign up to this, hence the Students’ Union.

Now, what the CUs are complaining about is restriction of free speech.

They are guilty of trying to evade the issue and deflect it onto other issues.

Is there a reciprocal ‘free speech’ right that says CU members have a right to be exposed to other ideas, other than those narrowly prescribed by those at the top of the CU?